This policy brief describes some of the potential disruptions brought by openness as they pertain to key higher education activities of teaching and learning, research, and the impact on higher education policy.
This paper considers some of the challenges in defining digital learning and the political challenges in measuring cost-effectiveness. It then focuses on issues of cost-effectiveness using examples from three initiatives: the Nepad e-Schools Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) financial modelling tool, the adaptation of the UNESCO ICT Competency for Teachers (CFT) professional development course for teachers, and the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) Facilitating Online Learning course (FOLC).
Although the concept of OER initially gained publicity in the Global North, OER are gaining traction in Africa, with an increasing number of OER initiatives focusing on areas such as OER advocacy, practice, and research. Today, the concept has been mainstreamed around the world, as exemplified through the unanimous adoption of the UNESCO Recommendation on OER in 2019.
This background paper was prepared for for: The World Bank, UNESCO and ILO (2023). Building Better Formal TVET Systems: Principles and Practice in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Washington D.C., Paris, Geneva: The World Bank, UNESCO, and ILO.
In the last decade, a number of OER initiatives in African higher education have sought to address challenges related to the access, supply and contextualisation of educational materials. However, limited information is available on the effectiveness of such initiatives. To gain deeper insight into this, OER Africa conducted research between September 2019 and February 2022. The project analysed the effectiveness of eleven key African OER initiatives in higher education and their influence on developing and supporting effective OER practices.
The same disruptive technologies transforming traditional markets and changing skills demands are also altering the methods through which workers can learn and acquire new skills. EdTech innovations, such as technology-enabled learning materials, online and blended learning, adaptive learning software, and micro-credentials, can help to close skills gaps in developing countries by improving the quality of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) delivery, particularly as it relates to acquisition and assessment of technical skills.
The idea of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) has generated growing interest from governments around the world as a possible mechanism for developing and sustaining public infrastructure and services. For example, PPPs were identified at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development as significant tools for achieving global sustainable development. Many governments are turning to the private sector for the financing, design, construction and operation of infrastructure projects.
